20213 game rules boys 3-4 and girls 3-5 11.13.2023.pdf

Purpose

To provide guidance to coaches, players, and referees as to the rules of the game to include but not limited to format, fouls, and violations.

Division Names

Boys Grades 3 & 4 - NCAA Men’s Division 1 (D1) National

Girls Grades 3 thru 5 - NCAA Women’s Division 1 (D1) National

General Gameplay Guidance

While scores and standings will be kept for these divisions, the rules were designed keeping in mind that players are still learning.  Coaches should prioritize teaching fundamental principles by reinforcing rules and game concepts with players when appropriate.  Referees are encouraged to provide players with in-game guidance related to concepts, rules, and violations as well.  Winning and losing at this age level should be a by-product of learning.

Definitions

Pressing: any half-court or full-court defensive formation, strategy, or scheme, whether zone or

man to man, that involves applying defensive pressure on the offense in an effort to produce a

turnover before the ball reaches the quarter-court. It typically calls for the defense to play much

tighter than usual using such strategies as denying and/or trapping.

Full-court: baseline to baseline, usually referring to a defensive strategy encompassing both the

frontcourt and backcourt ex. full court man to man, full court 1-2-1-1 zone trap, etc.

Half-court: half-court line to baseline, usually referring to a defensive strategy extending

throughout the entire frontcourt ex. half-court man to man, half-court 1-3-1 zone trap, etc.

Half-court extended: similar to above where the tip of the defense extends beyond the halfcourt

line into the backcourt. For rec purposes, we will consider a half-court extended defense a full

court defense.

Quarter-court: top of the key to the baseline, usually referring to a defensive strategy played in

and around the 3 point-arc ex. quarter court man to man, traditional 3-2 or 2-3 zone.

Man to man or player to player defense: a defensive strategy that involves all 5 players matching up with one offensive player who they’re responsible for guarding whenever they’re on defense.  Defenders may switch or help each other on defense but for the most part, each player is responsible for guarding one player on offense.

Zone defense: Zone defense is different from man-to-man defense in that, instead of guarding a particular player, each zone defender is responsible for guarding an area of the floor, or "zone", and any offensive player that comes into that area. Zone defenders move their position on the floor in relation to where the ball moves.

Trap or trapping: when two or more defenders intentionally gang up and apply pressure to the

offensive player controlling the basketball, also known as a double team or double teaming.

Deny, denial, denying: when a defensive player guards an offensive player much tighter than

usual in an effort to deny the offensive player access to the ball.

Technical foul: a foul that is assessed to a player, coach, team, or spectators for a team typically

for unsportsmanlike conduct (examples include but are not limited to acts such as arguing with

an official, taunting an opponent, delay of game) and does not usually involve physical contact

with an opponent while the ball is in play.

Flagrant foul: a personal foul that involves excessive or violent contact that could injure the fouled player, it can be unintentional or purposeful.

Game Format

The MIAA/Federation High School Rules are used by RYB except as noted below.

Saturday Game Times

1. All games are configured to a 50 minute time slot.  

2. The game schedule pattern is as follows: Game 1 8AM, Game 2 9AM, Game 3 10AM, Game 4 11AM, Game 5 12PM, Game 6 1PM

3. All teams should arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of their scheduled game time

Regulation

1. All games will be 2 halves

2. Each halve will be 14 minutes

3. Games need to start no later than 5 minutes past the scheduled game time. Games scheduled between 8am and 9am, tip-off must be no later than 8:05 am. Referees will be given latitude to alter warm up times to keep games on schedule.

4. If games are running ahead of schedule, referees will be given latitude to provide more time for warm ups.

5. Halftime break will be 1 minute

6. Each team will receive 2 timeouts per game. Timeouts are 1 minute. An unused timeout at the end of the first half does not carry over into the second half. Unused timeouts during regulation do not carry over into overtime.

Overtime

1. If a game is tied at the end of regulation, a 2 minute overtime will be played.

2. Each team will have 1 timeout in overtime. Timeouts are 30 seconds.

3. If the game is tied at the end of overtime, the game will end in a tie.

Schedule Adjustments

1. Referees will be afforded latitude to keep games on schedule.  

2. Should a game run over its allotted time slot, referees will be given latitude to

make adjustments to get back on schedule. Such modifications could include, in order,

any of the following:

1. Cutting back or eliminating the allotted pre-game warm up and huddle time (saving up to 5 minutes).

2. Reducing the half length from 14 minutes to 13 minutes (saving 2 minutes)

3. Eliminating clock stoppages for shooting fouls, technical fouls and flagrant fouls

4. Eliminating the clock stoppages during the last 2 minutes of the second half

5. Eliminating timeouts during regulation

6. Reducing the overtime period from 2 minutes to 1 minute

   1. Eliminating all clock stoppages during the overtime period

Clock stoppages

1. The clock will continuously run except during the following: shooting fouls, technical

fouls, timeouts, referee timeouts, injury timeouts, and any whistle during the last 2

minutes of the 2nd half and overtime.

2. In the event of excess runoff of clock time, it is at the discretion of the referee(s) to put

time back on the clock.

Game balls, Rim Heights and Scoring

1. Both divisions will use a 28.5 inch game ball.

2. All games for both divisions will be played on a 10 foot basketball. Any change to this rule must be authorized by the board.

3. All games for the above divisions will be scored using the scoreboard, digital or otherwise in conjunction with a scoring book.

4. The scoreboard and book each require a separate volunteer. Should the league be unable to provide HS volunteers to run the scoreboard and or keep the book, either an assistant coach or parent volunteer should be appointed by head coaches to perform the above tasks. A book must be kept for every game to track personal and team fouls.

5. Scores need to be reported by coaches to divisional directors.

6. Games will be officiated by high school volunteers. 

Defense

1. It is strongly recommended that teams may play quarter-court, man to man or player to player defense, however, a quarter-court 2-3 zone or 3-2 zone is permissible. No other defensive schemes are authorized. NO 1-3-1, NO BOX & 1, NO TRIANGLE & 2 etc.  These defensive schemes do not instill defensive principles in children. 

   1. On a defensive rebound, players on offense must hustle back to the end they are defending and match up man to man defense or position themselves in their area of responsibility in a zone defense

   2. Stealing off of the pass and dribble is allowed once the ball nears the 3 point arc. The area behind the 3 point arc is considered a “safe zone.” Referees are afforded latitude when make a “safe zone” violation judgement.

   3. If the offense is pushing the ball up the court in transition in an effort to score a breakaway basket, there will be instances of reaching and deflecting passes before the ball nears the 3 point arc.  It is unrealistic to expect players to know when and where they can steal in these types of fastbreak situations.  In these situations referees will be given latitude to determine whether or not the offense had clear control over the ball and if the steal occurred in the “safe zone.” If the referee determines that a steal occurred in the “safe zone,” it will result in stoppage of play to educate players with the offense inbounding the ball at half-court. 

2. During the last 1 minute of the 2nd half, teams may play a half-court man to man defense.  This rule extends to overtime as well. 

3. Teams may not trap, double team, deny, or overplay in a quarter defense. A momentary double teaming on the ball as a result of playing help defense or a loose ball situation is not considered intentional. During the last minute of regulation and overtime, teams may not trap, double team, deny, or overplay in a full-court man to man defense.  Violations will result in a clock stoppage with the offensive team in bounding the ball at half-court or on the offensive side of the court in the area where the violation occurred, whichever is closer.

4. If a team has a lead of 10 points or more, then they must play quarter-court man to man or player to player defense. 

5. Enforcement protocol for violating the restriction on playing a zone defense w/ a lead of 10 points or more:

   1. Informal warning to the coach and educational discussion with the defense

   2. A formal warning to the coach (next occurrence will result in penalty below)

   3. An illegal defense call that gives the offense 1 shot penalty with the lane cleared out and the ball back at the point of interruption.

   4. NO technical fouls are given. The rule can be enforced as many times as needed.

Fouls

1. Each player will be afforded 5 personal fouls per game. On a player's 5th personal foul, they have fouled out of the game.

   1. Coaches should match up liked skilled players to reduce matchup deficits

   2. Players excessively fouling should be temporarily removed from the game in order for a coach to provide corrective instruction

2. Player technical fouls and flagrant fouls are counted as a personal foul and team foul.

3. Any player receiving 2 technical fouls, 2 flagrant fouls, or 1 technical and 1 flagrant foul

in a game shall be removed from the game.

4. When a team accumulates 8 team fouls in a half, the opposing team will shoot 2 foul shots for any defensive foul committed thereafter.  This is known as the bonus.

5. Second half fouls carry over into overtime for the purpose of bonus.

6. Any coach receiving a technical foul must sit for the remainder of the game.

7. Any coach receiving 2 technical fouls in a game or who is ejected from a game shall not

participate in the next league game.

8. Any player involved in a fight shall be removed from the game. Head coaches for both

teams shall notify a board representative of such instances for review.

9. Referees are given latitude to manage spectators. Should a referee feel that the

behavior of a spectator or spectators is unruly and/or impeding the progress of the game

in any way, the may institute any of the following actions based on the severity of the

behavior;

a. provide a formal warning to the coach

b. provide a formal warning to the spectator or spectators

c. assess the team connected to the spectator or spectators with a technical foul

d. request that the spectator or spectators leave the facility

i. Should a spectator or spectators be asked to leave the facility, head

coaches shall provide the name or names of any person ejected to the

divisional director for review by the board

Violations

All violations are in effect including traveling, double dribble, backcourt, 3 seconds in the paint, 5 seconds closely guarded violation, 5 seconds to inbound the basketball, and 10 seconds to advance the ball into the frontcourt. 

During weeks 1 and 2 of games, the above violations will be treated as educational.  Referees will take a referee time out, stop play, and the player or players involved in the above violations will receive corrective instruction.  (This corrective instruction should also be reinforced at practice throughout the season). Starting week 3 and for the remainder of the season, the above violations will result in turnover or change in possession; however referees may still elect to call a referee time out to provide instructions to players .

Playing Time

All players must play the equivalent at least 1⁄2 of the game, and no player may play 4 full

quarters unless everyone else has played the equivalent of 3 full quarters. We appreciate the

competitive spirit of players and coaches but this is a rec league and coaches should make an

effort to provide all players with equal playing time throughout the course of an entire game.

Note: With town-travel basketball starting as early as the 4th grade for some players, it is not uncommon for skill gaps to exist between younger and older players, especially with the girls division. All coaches should take this into consideration and ensure the line-up of players on the court is balanced between experienced players and players in development. By working together on this, coaches should be able to manage the competition so that the game is fair and fun for all.

Call Ups

Coaches should make every effort possible to determine player attendance prior to Friday, the

evening before a game. Should a team have 6 players or less, the head coach must reach out

to the divisional director or coaching director to secure a call up from the next lower division.

Should a team have 7 players or less, it is recommended that head coaches reach out to the

divisional director or coaching director to secure a call up from the next lower division. Coaches

shall not borrow players from like division teams as this has historically created problems;

mainly coaches have borrowed the best player from another team providing an unfair advantage

over an opponent.

Forfeits

Should a team only have 4 players at game time, the game will be ruled a forfeit. In the spirit of

rec, this is the only instance in which a coach may borrow another player or players from a like

division team including the opposing team to form a team of 5 players or balance out the teams.

Since this game is technically a forfeit, scorekeepers will not keep track of personal fouls but will

continue to track team fouls for the purposes of bonus/double bonus. If there are no players available, then a 4 on 4 game may be played however the game is still a forfeit.